Velocipede



.(No Model.) 2 .sheets-shew', 1. B. L. TOQUBT. VELOGIPEDE Patented Apr.-15, 1890.

/ITIVESSES:

(No'Model.) 2 sheets-sheer@ B. L. TOQUET.

VBLOG'IPBDB. No. 425,837. Patented Apr. 15,' 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN LOUIS TOQUET, OF IVESTPORT, CONNECTICUT.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,837, dated April15, 1890.

Application filed August 6, 1889. Serial No. 319,857. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN LOUIS TO- QUET, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of IVestport, Fairfield county, Connecticut, haveinvented Improvements in Cycles, of which the following is aspecification.

The obj ect of my invention is to construct a simple, strong, andcompact driving-gear for cycles, whereby high speeds may be attained,and this without undue strain upon the rider.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of a bicycleprovided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, drawn to alarger scale, through the gearing and bearing-boxes of thedriving-wheel. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, partly in section.Fig. I is a view indicating another form of treadle-lever for applyingpower to the driving-wheel, and Fig. 5 is a view of a modification.

Although the main feature of my invention may be applied to variousconstructions of cycles, it is particularly applicable to those forms ofbicycles which are known as Safety bicycles; and in Fig. l I have shownmy invention as applied to that form of bicycle. I do not, however, wishto restrict myself to any one form of bicycle or other cycle.

In Fig. 1, A is lthe front part of the frame, through which passes thestem B, having at its upper end the handles b and at its lower end thefork B which carries the front wheel WV. From the front part of theframe eX- tends the backbone A which carries the seat or saddle S. Threeforked braces o, a', and a2 extend from the backbone and from the frontpart of the frame to the bearing-boxes D D on opposite sides of the rearor driving wheel NV.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 the driving-gear, whichforms an important feature of my invention, is provided only on one sideof the driving-wheel, and for its reception one of the bearing-boxes Dis considerably enlarged. The driving-shaft R, which is adapted tobearings d in the boxes on both sides, as shown in Fig. 2, has alsoafXed to it a driving-pinionF within the box D. To the hub w of thewheel is affixed the sleeve of a pinion w, which latter is also withinthe box D. This pinion wand sleeve, which carry the driving-wheel, turnfreely .about the driving-shaft R, and anti-friction rollers p arepreferably provided at suitable points between the shaft R or partscarried by it and the pinion and the sleeve. Into this driving-pinion Fthere is geared on each side of it a gear-wheel f, which has fastened toit or formed in one piece with it a gearwheel f of larger diameter.These two gearwheels f are on opposite sides of and gear into thecentral pinion w. The pairs of gears f and f each turn upon spindles oraxles s in the box D, preferably with anti-friction rollers.

Power may be applied to the driving-pinion F by any suite ble means;butI preferably use a crank K, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3, fixed tothe shaft R or to the hub of the driving-pinion. If the construction ofthe machine and arrangement of the seat will permit it, the treadlesmaybe put directly upon the cranks; but I prefer to combine with thecranks treadle-levers L, as shown in Fig. 1. These treadle-levers areconnected to the ends of the cranks K, each between ,the treadle l atone end and the link l at the other end, by which the tread le-lever issuspended from the brace o. or other fixed part of the machine. Insteadof the crank K with the treadle-lever L, I may use a treadle lever L',(shown in Fig. 4,) which carries a pawl gearing into a ratchet on thehub of the driving-pinion F, or on the shaft to which the pinion islined, as indicated by the dott-ed lines in that figure.

The above-described construction of the gearing, it will be seen, is asimple and compact arrangement for increasing the speed between thepoint of application of the power and the driving-wheel of the cycle,and owing to the combination of this increasing speedgearing with thetreadle-levers high speeds can be attained with comparative ease to therider. Furthermore, as the gear-wheels. are arranged on both sides ofthe central pinions the strain is evenly distributed.

The construction and arrangement described above may, however, be variedwithout departing from my invention. For instance, in the modificationshown in Fig. 5 I

IOO

purpose to have the gearing on both sides of the driving-wheel and tohave the wheel W, hub zu', and pinion w lixed to the shaft R, while thedrivlng-pinion F is free to turn about the shaft and the cranks K arefixed tothe hubs of the driving-pinions. As before, there is geared intothe pinion w on each side of it, a gearwheel f which has fastened to itor formed 1n one piece with it a gear-wheel f of smaller dlarneter, andthese wheels ff gear into the driving-pinion F, as before. The hub ofthis driving-pinion F extends out through the sides of the box D andfindsabearing therein, preferably through anti-friction rollers p, inthe grooved bearings d, screwed into the box. Suitable anti-frictionrollers are preferably interposed between the inner end of thedriving-pinion F and the pinion w, which is fixed to the shaft, whileother anti-friction rollers may be interposed between the outer end ofthe hub of the driving-pinion F and the collar or nut N, secured to theend of the shaft R, Fig. 5.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of thc driving-wheel of acycle and a pinion secured thereto with a driving-pinion and wheelsgearing into and on opposite sides of the said pinions to transmitmotion from the drivin g-pinion to the pinion secured to the wheel, allsubstantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the drivingwheel of a cycle and bearing-box with apinion secured to the wheel, a drivin g-pinion, and gearwheels onopposite sides of said pinions for transmitting motion from thedriving-pinion to that on the wheel, the said pinions and gears beingcontained within the bearing-box, all substantially as set forth. v

3. The combination of the driving-wheel of a cycle having a pinionsecured thereto and a driving-pinion and two gearwheels of differentlsizes secured together, the smaller wheel geared to the driving-pinionand the larger one geared into the pinion secured to the wheel, and abearing-box containing the said pinions and gear-wheels, allsubstantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the driving-wheel of a cycle and a driving-shaftpassing, freely through the center with a pinion secured to the wheeland a driving-pinion secured to the shaft, and gear-wheels on oppositesides of the said pinions to transmit motion with an increased speedfrom the driving-pinion to that on the wheel.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

. BENJAMIN LOUIS TOQUET.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK KEMrER,

CLARK BARNUM.

